West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-08-11
\ MILE IN ONE MINUTE.
THE FEARFUL RIDE OF A MINER
DOWN A LOG CHUTE.
lie sticks Co His Horse and Shoots
Like Lightning Down tho Noun
tain Side for Two Miles.

Like Lightning Down tho Noun.
tain Side for Two Miles.
II have made mile minute ON horse,
back in the saddle"
Asa grizzlcd stranger with ouartzite
pm made this remark silence fell upou
the little group of turfmcn who sat in
the corridor of the Windsor Hotel nj
Denver, the other evening. SAYS the Chi.
cago HeUid. The group drew closer,
and the stranger began:
IL was riding tough little bronco ON
my way to Leadvillc from a claim |
owned on the other side of the divide.
on the slope of what is called Gold
Mountaih. L pushed rapidly ahead TO.
"aru inc pass. The road beyond the
pass led down long, straight incline for
aDont quarter Of mile This took il
TO the iringes of pine timber and then
II made detour of nearly two miles 10
get around spur of the range. Sud
denly my horse staggered, stumbled.
plunged "A little, and then came down
with crash, first on his fore lees. and
thon HAT on his belly, his head down hill.
can't readily describe it, but he fell in
such a way that my right leg, without
being crushed or even much bruised. was
twisted in the stirrup strap and got fast
hight here let me stop to explain n
little circumstance that will enable Won
TO understand the situation. Down in
the valley, at the base of Gold Mountain
was saw-mill, and extending up from its
yard almost to timber line was what ia
called log chute This is simply n "
shaped trough, large enough TO hold n
good-sized pine trunk, and built solidly
against the face of the mountain. OF
course, 1t has TO be straight, or nearly SO.
to permit the logs to slide down without
obstruction, and use soon makes the In
side as smooth as glass.
Such contrlvancc saves great deal
oi hauling, for as the trees are cut they
are dragged over and dumped into the
trough, and go down TO the yard like n
sueak OF lightning. IL had not been
used for about year, and pine needles
Doughs, and other rubbish had i'm places
almost hidden it from sight. was well
enough acquainted with the mountains
to know, the instant my bronco fell that
he had walked into the old lop chute
1T takes moment for the coolest
head to clear itself in times of unlooled-
Tor peril, and long before that moment
hhd elapsed the bronco and were on our
way to the valley, going faster at every
breath, nothing to stop us, death ahead,
ana the devils own railroad underneath
l was sitting almost erect in the saddle.
The leather flaps had twisted around and
Kept my legs from rubbing against the
side of the trough, but held me like
bands OF iron. Even had they not, Jump
ing OIL would have been out of the cues.
ton. have never been on a toboppan.
but think that people who have will
understand why bent all my energies
TO holding on. | did not faint and did
not get dizzy; there was a hideous roar
ing IN my ears, furious wind seemed to
al OF sudden tear up the mountain and
suck the breath out of my mouth. but
everything was deadly clear and distinct.
could see black specks grow sud
denly into big pines and then shoot past
me. could even see the snow cauoht
In the needles rs they came whizzinp
up. Every instant, through some clear
ing, lcould see the valley, in flash.
ana over 1t all was sickening feeling.
as though the mountain was sinking
away from me and | was plunging out
INTO immeasurable space So strong was
thls that even now, standing on the solid
marble floor, can recall the oualm and
nausea as all support seemed to give
away, the earth tip up and let me fall,
fall, fall-it felt as If forever A mass
OF rock as large as this hotel was beneath
me. AS looked it seemed to lean into
the air like bslloon. There wasa a black
nnc OF forest below. Ishot through it as
through "A tunnel, and out into
the light again. tried to shut
my eyes. IT was impossible. I tried
TO scream The air had turned TO stone.
THE trees and rocks were indis.
tinguishable, when all Of n sudden n
black mass flew up into my face. felt
that l was being beaten, bruised and
hurled over, ana then every thing was
still again.
When the moon was well up came to
myself. was lying in a snowdrift. rub.
bing at my head and moaning. After a
long time / crawled little way and then
fell down and cried for my very helpless
ness. must have been n little aiohtlv.
and heaven knows how found nv way
TO Lacy's mill, aquarter OF mile beyond
but J did some how, and they carried me
IN and sent for help. You see, the old
timber chute had fallen into decay. and
some distance above the yard was a
broken place and that saved my life
When We reached it the dead bronco
jumped the trough and the two Of us
went sailing and turning and cavortinp
over field Of fresh snow until we stuck
into drift about five hundred yards
away.
=" The bronco had the worst Of IL even
there, for he kept on going until he
struck solid earth. ! broke three ribs
aud this arm in so many different places
that the doctor wanted 10 cut IL of and
be done with IT, What puzzled the
mill men most was that my legs escaped.
but the saddle flaps were worn to frinpe
and that explains It. From the point
where ] started to the break was over
two miles, and the old hands there said
logs used TO make 80 In less than two
minutes. / had no stop-watch, but TN
back myself against any log that ever
made the trip"
Bnll-FrOgs Fond Of Turkey.